Skyline
by It's Just Alex-nyan
Summary: post-CoS EdWin. "You're the one that started getting close to her and now you want to run away! Why can't you just be happy with what you have for once! We're stuck here! We can't go back to her Edward!" Because grass is greener on the other side.
1. Prologue

**AN: 'Ello beautiful people. I'm back with more EdWin, because I'm good at nothing else. XD This story was actually my friend Ava's idea (she gives me lotsa ideas I know I can't think for myself. D;) aaaand I thought it was a cool idea so I turned it into a fic. :l Soyeah. I hope you like it and I hope it's not too crappy. **

**_Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. Though if it belonged to me I'd be a very proud person. _**

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"_Hey Ed…?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_Have you ever wondered why stars look like they're so close?" Winry stared dreamily out the window, something she'd been doing a lot lately. Edward was always catching her gazing out the window with her cheek in her palm or would hear her go out onto the porch and swing on the chair, just looking at the sky. What was it that fascinated that girl so much? _

"_No not really." Ed answered her question bluntly. "It's probably just how our eyes perceive the light." Winry huffed. _

"_Of course you get scientific about it." she rolled her eyes, but continued to look out the window at the dark sky. "You've never wondered at all?" she rested her head on her hand. _

"_Well, no… I've thought about how awesome stars are, but never about how far away they are." he shrugged casually. _

"_Mm." Winry didn't seem to take his explanation into mind before speaking again. "I wonder what it's like up there…" the thought made her smile. It was said that it was zero-gravity up in space, thinking about floating around all of her mechanical tools made her want to find some way to get up there. _

"_You wouldn't be able to breathe, you'd burn from the heat, and you'd be blinded by the light." Ed informed her sourly. What was with all of this nonsense? Winry was usually so rational minded. _

"_Ugh, you always suck the fun out of my daydreams Ed." the girl turned away from the window and headed up the stairs, not turning to give him a parting word or wave. _

"Brother…" Alphonse waved a hand in front of his older brother's face. He'd been zoning out so much lately and it was hard to keep a conversation going with him. Even when Al would ask him questions about the Rocket Science they had in this world called Earth, all Edward seemed to do was freeze up and glance out the window, or look up at the sky. "Are you okay? Do you need to talk to someone…?" the last thing his little brother wanted was to make Ed feel like he was going crazy, but he obviously wasn't going to tell Alphonse what was bothering him any time soon.

"I'm not crazy, Alphonse. I just don't want to talk about it." Ed suddenly snapped out of whatever he was in and glared at the younger sibling.

"I'm sorry. I'm just worried." Alphonse sighed. If Ed wouldn't talk to him about it, he definitely wouldn't go around telling a random stranger about it. Edward smiled apologetically but still didn't say anything.

"_Wanna see something cool?" a rather intoxicated Winry grabbed Ed's hand and dragged him outside, running down the porch steps, jumping off the last one and stumbling slightly. She led the way far out into the field and fell onto her back. Ed blinked at her, but followed suit. _

"_What am I looking for?" he asked, glancing at her from the corner of his golden orbs. _

"_Nothing. Just take it in." Winry closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the crickets. Edward looked up at the sky and took a deep breath, relaxing his body into the thick, tall grass and closing his eyes. A second later he reopened them and his whole view had seemed to shift. Instead of thinking about irrational, drunk Winry and how wrong she was, she was actually right. The stars seemed to twinkle and wink just for him, and the grass around him felt like a cloud. The sound of the crickets made him want to close his eyes and go to sleep. _

"_Oh… wow." was all he could say. Winry smiled brightly and looked over at him. _

"_Pretty cool, huh?" she seemed proud that she was able to do something right, even in his scientific book of rules and facts. _

"_It's pretty cool, I've seen better." despite how marveled he was by it he wasn't actually going to admit that Winry was right. _

"_I think it's amazing. I'm sorry I haven't been all over-"_

"_I didn't realize mirrors were so hard to get to." Ed couldn't believe he'd just blurted that out. He kept his composure on the outside but on the inside his heart was racing and he felt like yelling at himself. _

"…_Wh-what do you mean?" either Winry was really flustered or she really didn't get it because of how much sake she'd been drinking, but one look at her proved it was the former. Her cheeks were bright red and her blue eyes wide. _

"_You, dumbass." Ed rolled his eyes, still trying to play it cool. "You're better than any dumb star or cricket." and he found that he meant it. _

"_O-oh…" Winry stuttered and turned away from him. "Thanks." Edward snickered slightly, feeling successful that he was able to get away with that comment without a wrench to the head and that he was able to make Winry look so helpless without actually doing any damage. _

"Brother…?" Edward felt slightly agitated with his younger brother as he was broken from his reverie once again. "I'm sorry, I just need the key." Alphonse motioned towards the front door of their apartment with an uneasy smile. Ed grabbed it and unlocked the door, holding it open so his little brother could walk in first with his bundle of food. "We're having pot roast tonight, so you have a lot of time to kill." Alphonse started to take the groceries out of their bags and put them in the tiny thing they called their pantry. Ed grunted in response and grabbed the keys, heading out the door with a wave.

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**Every time I have a long sequence of Italics it's a flashback... and every time it's just a sentence it's a thought. Just letting you know if you didn't catch it. XDX; -shrug- **

**Well that's the prologue and I won't keep you with my boring AN's anymore.**

**... But did you catch the Alfons reference I made with Al? _ Props to you if you did. XD**


	2. Run Away

**AN: Here's the first chapter. The actual first chapter. :3 I hope this isn't boring you. DX **

**_Disclaimer: Blah blah FMA isn't mine blah blah._**

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Edward frowned as he walked down the streets of London, for more than one reason. One reason was the he was hungry, and he was never in much of a good mood when he was hungry. The second reason was that there seemed to be a lot of girls out with Winry's shade of blonde hair. The third reason was that the sky was the exact color of her eyes today. He shook his head out of his thoughts and focused on finding somewhere to eat. He was just seeing things because he was hungry… He walked into the next diner he came to and took a seat on one of the barstools. He watched people walk in and out, though not amused, until he finally ordered some pancakes and bacon. He ate them in silence and listened to the radio playing right next to his plate, but didn't pay much attention to it. Edward knew he and Al were supposed to be searching for the bomb that was being threatened to drop, and they should be listening for any signs of it, but he just didn't care at the moment. He scowled when he heard a crash come through the door and looked back to see a clumsy blonde - _Another one. _he thought bitterly - stumble through.

"Sorry I'm late!" she called as she rushed behind the counter and passed Ed. He studied her figure thoughtfully as she pulled a tacky red striped apron over her head and tied it around her waist. The girl walked up to him with a confident smile, one Ed found too familiar. But that wasn't just it, it was the eyes…

"Sorry about me crashing in like that." she laughed nervously. "Would you like a drink? Coffee on the house? I hate being a disturbance." she looked at him expectantly. Ed froze up, he wasn't able to talk or move or anything. "Um, sir? Are you okay?" the girl looked worried above all else. _Sir… right, Winry wouldn't be able to pass through the gate._ Ed waved a hand at her and stood up, leaving his payment and a tip on the counter top before exiting the diner. He turned the corner and ran.

~~~oOo~~~

"Al! I found-"

"Ssh. Brother, you'll wake Squeaky." Alphonse was sitting on the couch listening to the radio… with a cat in his lap. Edward scowled.

"Another cat? You know once we start moving again we're not keeping it." he turned the radio off and went straight to the kitchen, grabbing a cup and filling it with water. "Guess who I found today?" he asked. Alphonse blinked.

"I don't know, but it obviously pulled you out of your brain for a while." he smiled slightly. Edward rolled his eyes and gulped his water down hastily, coughing manically when it went down the wrong tube.

"I found Winry." he choked out. Alphonse stopped petting Squeaky and looked at him. _So that's what's been bothering him…_ he thought.

"Did you talk to her?" he asked with a smile. Ed's eyes widened and he turned away, filling his cup with more water.

"Um, no. I was too surprised to say anything, I kind of just got up and left when she asked me if I wanted coffee." he suddenly felt like kicking things over. Instead he settled with an unsatisfied grunt and downed his second cup of water.

"Are you going to go back and talk to her?" Al smirked at his distressed brother.

"I don't know." Edward stuttered. He was starting to feel overwhelmed by it. The girl was Winry's doppelganger, no doubt, but she wasn't Winry. "It would be weird to go back after I just got up and left." he crossed his legs and leaned on the counter. Al shrugged.

"You might run into her somewhere else." he smiled. Edward shrugged and threw his cup into the sink.

"I'm gonna go walk around." he announced, grabbing the keys and throwing his little brother the spare. "Here. Just in case you decide to go out later."

"But you just got back…" Al blinked but didn't protest further when Ed waved and walked out the door.

"_Winry's going to marry me!" _

"_No she's not! She's going to marry me!" The two Elric brothers scowled at each other. "I know. Whoever can jump the highest gets to ask Winry to marry her." the older said, trying to resolve this ever going problem. Alphonse nodded and raced over to their mother, who was sitting on the swing their dad had put up what felt like so long ago. _

"_Mommy, who can jump higher? Me or Ed?" he tugged at her skirt. Trisha looked at him. _

"_I'm not sure, let me see." she smiled. Alphonse ran back over to Ed and they started bouncing up and down, trying to get higher every time. _

"_I jumped higher!"_

"_No I did!" and soon they were on the floor instead of in the air. Trisha sighed as the two argued, rolling and dodging each other's punches and hits. _

"_Alphonse jumped higher." she informed them, giggling slightly when the boys paused. Alphonse wrestled out of Edward's grip and ran towards the Rockbell residence. _

"_Get back here Al!" and Ed went right after him. _

"_Winry! I have to ask you a question!" Winry turned around and watched as Alphonse ran down the path to her house. Edward was gaining on him quickly, and it wasn't long before they were both on the ground again, their limbs tangled and scowling at each other. "Winry will you marry me?" Alphonse blurted out, flinching when Ed whacked him over the head. Winry blinked at the scene before her. _

"_Uh…" she giggled. "Al you're like my little brother, it would be really weird." Al let his face fall into the dirt, feeling defeated. _

"_What about me?" Ed smiled brightly, because if she wasn't going to marry Alphonse it must mean she was going to marry him, right? _

"_I don't want to marry a boy shorter than I am." Winry stated bluntly, pursing her lips. Ed collapsed into the dirt with a huff. _

"_I'm not that short." he grumbled._

Edward grunted as someone ran into him.

"HEY WHY DON'T YOU-" he started flailing when they put their hand over his mouth and tugged him into a dark alleyway. His first instinct was to kick their ass, but a series of shouts were heard.

"Where did she go?"

"Ugh, lost another one." Edward raised an eyebrow as a group of men ran passed the alley. He heard the person behind him sigh and the hand was removed from his mouth. He stood still for a moment before pulling the person into a vertical arm bar.

"Ow! You know my shoulder really isn't flexible enough for that." Edward's eyes widened as he actually took a look at the culprit. _Winry…_ He let go of her immediately and tried to make his mouth utter an apology, but it just opened and closed helplessly. Instead of an apology out came;

"Y-you're hair is short…" it sounded like more of an accusation than observation. The girl put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at him. "I… sorry you just remind me a lot of someone I know…" Ed didn't know if he should use past tense or not, but present seemed to be a better idea. The girl's defensive stance slackened slightly.

"O-oh." she looked at the ground awkwardly. "Sorry about that, those guys never seem to leave me alone." she apologized.

"It's okay." Ed took a deep breath and held out his right hand. "Edward Elric." he smiled nervously. The girl blinked and grabbed his arm, running her hand over the steel.

"Whoa… this is so high-tech." her eyes sparkled brightly. She smiled up at him. "Winry Rockbell. Nice to meet you." Edward nodded, his face going red. "This prosthetic is amazing. Who made it?" she grabbed his hand and intertwined her fingers with his, rolling his wrist left and right.

"Um… my friend made it before I came here." he pulled his hand away slowly. Winry blinked.

"Oh I'm sorry. I just get really fascinated with prosthetics. I grew up around them because my grandmother makes prosthetics for soldiers." she laughed nervously. Edward was used to people marveling over his automail, but it was never anything like Winry. He should've expected that.

"It's fine." he smiled uneasily. "Do you want me to walk you home?" he asked. Ed bit his lip and was about to kick himself. He shouldn't just say these kinds of things around this Winry!

"It is getting pretty late… I'd really appreciate it." Winry tugged him out of the alley and led the way towards where she lived. "So… about your arm…"

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**I made Ed and Al's contest very child-ish... but I guess is fits since they were children. **

**Again I hope I'm not boring you.**


	3. Small Talk

**AN: Okay you've waited long enough. Here's the next chapter. XD**

**_Disclaimer: FMA isn't mine blah blah blah coming out your mouth with your blah blah blah~_**

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"Wow… you're friend must be really talented. It's even light-weight." Winry studied Ed's right arm attentively, and Ed wondered if she really was leading them to her house.

"Yeah, durable too." he said. "Are you sure we're going the right way?" he looked at her skeptically. Winry rolled her eyes.

"You can leave me right here. I'll be fine the rest of the way." she looked up at him. Edward looked out in the direction she was headed; a dark, beat off the town road that seemed to lead to no where.

"…You're going out into the country and you expect me to let you go by yourself." he raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm fine once I'm out of town. Always have been, always will." Winry pursed her lips and looked away from him. Ed sighed.

"Alright. If you insist. Nice meeting you." he waved and turned to walk back down the road; Alphonse was going to be mad at him if he was home too late.

"W-wait…" Winry sucked in a breath and almost whacked herself over the head with her bag. Ed turned around and looked at her expectantly. "I still owe you a cup of coffee." she mumbled. Edward grinned. "Come by the diner around 11:45? That's a few minutes before I get off for my lunch break." Winry stuttered. Edward nodded.

"Sounds good." he laughed. Winry turned around and ran down the broken road for a short time before she just started walking. Ed smiled slightly as he watched her retreating back before turning and walking towards his own apartment.

~~~oOo~~~

"So this Winry is into prosthetics, too?" Alphonse frowned at his older brother, who'd refused to eat the food he'd spent all day making. Edward nodded and threw his coat onto the couch. "…Are you going to meet up with her tomorrow?" Al smirked at him. Ed's face turned a deep shade of red, but his serious expression didn't leave him.

"I'm not sure. Maybe." he sighed.

"I'll go for you!" Alphonse laughed but shut up immediately when he got a dirty look from his older sibling. "I was kidding, brother." he assured him. Ed sighed and pulled his ponytail out, shaking his head.

"I guess I'll go, I mean I don't want to-" he stopped himself mid-sentence.

"Stand her up…?" Al finished for him. Ed nodded and walked to his room, shutting the door and collapsing onto his bed. He held his automail arm in front of his face.

"Winry…" he sighed and crossed his arms before turning onto his side, falling into a heavy sleep.

~~~oOo~~~

Winry sighed as she glanced at the clock on the wall of the diner the next morning. She chewed on cheeks and smiled as she poured a customer more water. She felt tired and disoriented; she could barely sleep the night before. The same person kept popping into her dreams, the boy with the unique golden eye color and blonde hair. She shook her head. Her parents told her to be careful, people were immigrating all over the place and you could never tell when you should trust someone or not. But with this boy, Edward, Winry felt a connection deeper than anything she'd ever felt before. It was almost out of this universe… She puffed her cheeks out and glanced at the clock; 11:30. Her and her parents had to immigrate to England once the rumors of the NAZI came out, because who know what kind of mistakes they'd be making. It made Winry extremely wary around everyone, but being in London made her feel a bit safer, even with her ex-boyfriends' groupies always stalking her around… She turned towards the door as the bell rang, but it wasn't him. She rolled her eyes at herself for feeling so desperate to see Edward again, but maybe there was a reason for that. Winry sighed and walked around, tending to customers and taking orders. The bell rang again but she didn't bother to turn around; she already had a feeling it wasn't him.

"Hey, Winry." the voice said otherwise. Edward stood there with his hands shoved into his pockets, sporting his signature red coat. Winry smiled and turned to face him, waving childishly. She shuffled behind the counter as he sat down next to the radio, grabbing a glass and filling it with fresh, hot coffee. She looked at the clock.

"I get off in five minutes so sit tight, okay?" she put a hand up as if it would make him stay and went back to work. Edward shrugged and took a sip of the coffee; it was bitter, but it definitely woke him up. He watched as Winry walked around for the last five minutes of her morning shift, before she plopped down next to him with a heavy sigh. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and took a sip of his coffee.

"So…" he tried to start up a conversation, he wanted to tell her so much, but this wasn't the Winry he wanted to tell…at least not yet. "You seem smart, why are you working in a diner?" he hoped that was the right thing to say. Winry blinked and rested her head on her hand.

"I'm working so I can pay to go to a good university. I could go to any one, but if not I think I want to go to America." she said, her eyes brightening. Edward smiled slightly.

"What do you want to go to a university for?" he asked.

"I want to study psychology." Winry replied thoughtfully. "If they even let me into a university." she shook her head with a frustrated sigh. "I'd like to study astrology, too…"

"_Hey Ed…?" _

"_Mm?" _

"_Have you ever wished on a star before?" Winry looked over at him as they laid in the huge hammock Edward had transmuted. It was peaceful outside, and the stars were shinning brightly, away from the busy city lights. Ed's eyebrows pulled together. _

"_When I was younger." he answered simply. Upon hearing this Winry frowned slightly, knowing it was probably something he didn't want to talk about. She decided to shift the subject to her for his sake. _

"_I wish on stars a lot. I know it's illogical, but just hoping is always good." she put her hands behind her head and rocked the hammock slightly. _

"_What did you wish for?" Edward asked curiously. _

"_Well… I always wished my parents being dead was a lie and that they'd come walking down the road." Winry's frown deepened. Ed flinched. "I also wished you grew taller."_

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN? OF COURSE I WAS GOING TO GROW TALLER!" Ed exploded. Winry snorted and hit him on the forehead. _

"_I wished that you and Al would come back safely restored, but that hasn't happened quite yet…" she sighed. "I wonder if wishing on stars isn't a waste of breath. Edward. Edward…? Edward?"_

"Edward are you okay?" Ed snapped out of his daydream and looked at Winry, but not the Winry he was hoping to see. He sighed and rubbed his temple.

"Sorry, I started spacing out." he took a sip of his coffee in hopes that it would pull him out of his mood. Winry smiled.

"It's alright. Do you want to take a walk? I don't really want to be in here…" she laughed nervously and looked around the diner. Edward nodded.

"Sure, why not?" he hopped off the stool and waited for her as she hung her apron up. He followed her down the street as she hummed.

"What about you? What are you into?" she asked him. Edward pursed his lips in thought.

"I was studying Rocket Science at a college in Germany before I came here." he told her. Winry's eyes widened considerably.

"Germany…?" she asked. He nodded.

"My father knew a great scientist there, but it got me into a lot more trouble than I bargained for." his eyes narrowed. "At least I got my brother back, that's all I wanted…" he sighed, his mind slipping into memories and daydreams. Winry's expression softened.

"So…you're not from Germany?" she asked cautiously. Edward raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head.

"No. Not at all." his smile was a little sinister, but his answer seemed confident enough to believe. Winry sighed in relief. "What? You think I'm a Nazi or something?" he smirked at her, watching in amusement as her expression went from relieved to surprised.

"Oh! U-um no of course not! I-I just thought it was a little weird that-"

"It's okay you don't have to cover it up. I get that reaction a lot." Edward waved a hand at her dismissively. "I have seen Nazi's… it definitely wasn't my favorite experience." he sighed. Winry blinked and looked at the sidewalk beneath them, starting to feel guilt seep in. He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Oh… I'm sorry for thinking that, it's just-"

"You don't have to apologize." Ed sounded a bit agitated. "Are you cold? You look like you could freeze to death." he narrowed his eyes at her as she shook her head. He shrugged his coat off his shoulders and threw it around her.

"…Thank you." Winry was immediately thankful for the chilly weather making her cheeks red and raw, because she felt her face heat up significantly. She slid her arms through the sleeves and held her arms out, pouting slightly when the sleeves hung over her hands.

"I actually wanted to go to America, too. Me and my younger brother are searching for something." Ed looked up at the gray sky.

"If you don't mind me asking, why were you in Germany?" Winry looked at him curiously, innocent blue eyes a lighter shade than he remembered them. Edward frowned slightly.

"Mostly studying Rocket Science, but I was also looking for a way to see my brother again." he answered. "We were separated for a long time. I guess because we made so many mistakes…" he closed his eyes as he stopped walking. Winry looked back at him with a frown. She had a feeling he was hiding something, but she would wait until he was ready to tell her. They'd only just met, after all…

"Well, you have to make mistakes to learn, right? Plus, you're with your brother now! So you must've done something right." she smiled optimistically. Edward's eyes met hers for a brief moment before he smiled and nodded. "I'd like to meet your little brother some day." she pondered. Ed blinked.

"I'm sure he'd love to meet you." he grinned. Winry's eyes widened as her face turned a deeper shade of red. She hummed in response and they continued to talk about petty things until Winry had to go back to work.

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**So we may get Winry/Al interaction soon?**

**BTW Ed loves flashbacks. XD**


	4. Stew and Alchemy

**AN: I apologize that this chapter is short. _And to answer your question_; Well... my friend got the idea (I don't remember if I credited her or not but this story was her idea) from the song Your Ex-Lover is Dead by Stars. And if you listen to it... it's rather sad. ^^; And saying that alone I think I answered your question? XD; **

**Oh and just out of curiosity, I was thinking over working on a fic of Ed and Al's story with their roles reversed, with Ed in the armor and Al the Fullmetal Alchemist. Would you read something like that? O:**

**_Disclaimer: FMA Belongs to Hiromu Arakawa... not me... still... _**

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It had been two weeks, and it had become a routine. Edward would go to the diner at around 11:45 and wait for Winry to be released on her lunch break, then they would talk about anything that came to mind, and Winry started to trust him more and more. Even still, she couldn't help but feel like he was keeping something from her. She'd been to their apartment a few times for dinner, but other than that she hadn't been let into their personal life too much. Winry knew Alphonse was catching up on his academics, and that he hoped to become a doctor some day. She knew Edward was a Rocket Scientist, but other than that she knew mostly nothing.

"You can keep yourself busy while I finish cooking, Winry." Alphonse snapped her out of her daze. She smiled and nodded, walking over to the large bookcases and pulling out a book. She flipped it open to a random page and skimmed over the text.

_Comprehend; understanding the structure and properties of atomic or molecular make-up to be transmuted, including the flow and balance of kinetic and potential energy. _Winry read. Her eyebrows pulled together. _Is this Rocket Science? It sounds complicated…_ she sighed and kept reading. _Deconstruction; using energy to break down the comprehended material into a more malleable state. Reconstruction; Continuing the flow of energy to reform the material._ Winry scratched the back of her head in confusion. What was this exactly? It didn't seem like Rocket Science, though it may apply to it. Maybe more chemistry? Winry's mind felt a little too overwhelmed already.

_Energy is transferred through a transmutation circle. The circle itself focuses and dictates the flow of power, tapping into the energies that already exist within the earth and matter's flow. It represents the cynical flow of the world's energies and phenomena and turns it so it can be manipulated. Inside the circle are alchemical runes from texts, studies, and experimentation. They correspond a different energy, so that the energy of the circle is to be released in the way most desirable. _

Winry rubbed her temples. _Alchemical runes…? Alchemy? This stuff… doesn't work… _Just thinking about it gave her a headache. She looked at one of the pictures doodled onto the page, which looked like an example of the transmutation circle. She stared at it for a moment before the book was closed by a metal hand. She jumped slightly and looked up at Edward, who was smiling slightly. He mumbled something that sounded like;

"Even here you get into things you shouldn't be…" and took the book from her loose grasp, shoving it back in the bookcase. Winry blinked and pulled another book out before catching sight of a glass case. She walked over to it and studied the silver pocket watch that was inside. Ed rolled his eyes and opened the case, handing it to her.

"Ed… what's alchemy?" Winry traced the insignia on the outside of the watch. She pushed the button and watched as it popped open. _Don't forget. .11._

"It's the science of understanding, deconstructing, and reconstructing matter." Edward sounded like he'd said the term a million times, confident and well rehearsed. Winry hummed in response. _Whether it works or not isn't the case. Why are there so many books on it…? _she frowned slightly.

"… For a transmutation circle, can you get energy from a different source, rather than the earth?" she asked. Edward's eyes widened. _Did she actually comprehend Hoenheim's notes?_ he thought. He didn't know if he should share how much knowledge he actually knew about it or not.

"Yeah, you can use yourself as an energy source." he watched her warily as she put the watch back in the glass case, treating it as if it were some antique china about to fall apart.

"How do you do that?" Winry clutched the book to her chest and looked up at him, blinking innocently.

"…I guess it's something that happens when you see The Truth." Ed answered simply. Winry looked at the ground and was about to ask what the truth was, but she decided against it. She just nodded instead, to show that she understood it, at least on a low level. "Those were my dads notes, he'd been studying alchemy for as long as I can remember." Ed shrugged nonchalantly. Winry put the book back in the bookcase and sighed.

"I can tell you're keeping something from me." she said quietly. "Whatever it is must be pretty personal, but I want you to know if you ever do decide to tell me about it, I won't think of you any differently." she told him. Edward's body tensed. Winry put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, I'm just telling you." she smiled. She dragged her hand down his arm, stopping at his wrist, only making him tense up more.

"W-Winry…?" Ed stuttered, his cheeks turning bright red. Winry jumped slightly, as if she was pulled out of a daydream.

"O-oh sorry, I was just thinking. Your arms are practically identical in proportion. It's pretty amazing." she smiled, lying easily about what she was thinking about. Edward's cheeks turned an even brighter red, and they both turned away from each other simultaneously.

_What the hell are you doing, Winry? Don't do stuff like that! _Winry thought to herself, feeling her cheeks overwhelm with heat.

"Guys, dinner's ready!" Alphonse called, expertly pulling them out of their awkward moment. Edward sped over to the table and looked at the food.

"Stew…" he smiled. Winry pinched the bridge of her nose before taking a seat.

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**So yes. Ed still has a soft spot for stew. **

**Winry steps a tad bit into the Elric Brothers past. Fun times? **

**Reviews would be appreciated, because I love reviews. Who doesn't love reviews? But if anything I'd love it if you answered my question about my reversal fic. ^^;**


	5. Stepping Boundaries

**AN: Okay here's the next chapter. I noticed a lot more people are reading this than I thought, because I go to my e-mail and I'm like lolwtf all these people are reading this? Really? **

**_Disclaimer: FMA doesn't belong to me blah blah_**

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_Snow… _it was finally starting to look like a normal winter in London, which was something that made Winry extremely happy. She always loved the snow-strewn streets (A/N: lawl try saying snow-strewn streets 5 times fast), and she especially loved Christmas. For Edward it was another story…

"I hate this time of year." he was currently grumbling over and over, laying on the couch in front of the fireplace with a blanket wrapped around him with a really bad cold. Alphonse handed him a cup of tea, which he held in his hands just to keep himself warm.

"I have to run some errands. Do you want me to call Winry to keep an eye on you? She has off work today…" he suggested.

"I don't need a babysitter Al." Ed snapped, glaring at his little brother. Alphonse rolled his eyes and walked over to the phone anyway.

"You can barely sit up. I'm going to be gone pretty much all day, I don't want you to lay here hungry and dehydrated." he picked up the phone and dialed Winry's number. Ed grumbled under his breath and set his cup on the coffee table with a wince. He listened to his younger brother talk to Winry, but didn't pay much attention to him.

"I'm fine." he growled, but when he tried to settle into the couch his muscles ached and his head throbbed. He moaned and turned over onto his side.

"I have to go to my morning lessons, Winry should be over in a short while okay?" Alphonse smiled at Ed, throwing a huge snow jacket on over his regular one and tying a scarf around his neck. Edward didn't respond, he only glared. "Do you want another blanket?" the younger asked kindly. Ed glared at him for another short while before nodding. Alphonse rolled his eyes and grabbed the blanket that was draped over the kitchen chair, throwing it over his brother.

"Thanks." Ed sighed and sunk further into the blankets.

"I'm leaving the spare key under the mat so Winry can get in. Be nice to her, okay?" Al opened the door and looked at his brother for a response.

"I'm always nice to her." Ed grumbled, pulling the blankets over his head. Al giggled and walked out, closing the door behind him.

~~~oOo~~~

"Ed I'm here!" Winry called, shivering and tugging her soaked jacket off her body. She looked around and saw Edward laying on the couch, buried in blankets and fast asleep. She smiled and walked into the kitchen, throwing her jacket on the chair. She forcefully pulled her gloves off her hands and threw them on the table. Blowing into her hands, she opened the closet, pulling out a log and throwing it into the dying fire. Winry sighed heavily and looked around before making herself a cup of tea. She sat down in front of the couch and stared into the fire, taking a sip of her tea.

"Winry…?" Ed blinked and rubbed his eyes. Winry looked back at him with a smile.

"Hey. Do you need anything?" she asked, setting her tea on the table and pushing his hair out of his face.

"Can I have some water?" he asked, his eyes closing at her touch.

"Sure." she put her hand to his forehead and frowned. "You're burning up." she sighed and stood up, walking to the kitchen and pulling out a glass to fill up with water.

"Win…?" she hummed in response. "It hurts to move." Ed complained. Winry helped him sit up before handing him the water, sitting next to him on the couch and watching as he gulped it down. He handed her the glass and groaned as he settled back into the couch. Winry stood up and rummaged through the drawers, smiling as she pulled out a thermometer. She rinsed it off with lukewarm water before walking back over to Ed, who frowned at her and kept his mouth tightly shut. Winry glared at him, putting her hands on her hips. Ed grunted and opened his mouth, letting her stick the thermometer under his tongue.

"It'll take a little while, okay?" Winry smiled at him. He glared at her in return. Winry walked over to the bookcase and scanned over the spines of the books. Barely any of them had names, only the ones that had to do with medicine or rocket science, but the majority was about the mysterious science called alchemy. Winry looked back at Ed, to see he was looking at her with puppy dog eyes. She picked up a book anyway and flipped it open, skimming over the unfamiliar terms and pictures. _The law of equivalent exchange._ Winry read to herself in her head. _In order to obtain something, something of equal value or substance must be lost. _she paced back and forth. _The law of conservation of mass. Energy or matter can neither be created from nothing and cannot be deconstructed to the point of nonexistence. _

"Um, Winry…" Ed mumbled, trying to keep the thermometer in his mouth. Winry looked up.

"Oh, I'm sorry." she sat down next to him and took it from his mouth, frowning at the number. "Mm. 103, you really haven't adjusted to winter here have you?" she giggled slightly and shook the thermometer.

"I haven't had a freezing winter in a while." Ed mumbled, watching as Winry set the thermometer on the coffee table. She sat on the floor and went back to reading.

_The consequences of attempting to bypass the Law of Equivalent exchange results in what's called a Rebound. When too much is attempted out of too little, the alchemic forces are thrown out of balance on either side of the equation. They fluctuate of their own accord in order to stabilize themselves - taking or giving more than was intended in often catastrophic and unpredictable ways such as mutation, serious injury or death. _

Winry frowned, because it was so convincing and she didn't want to believe it, but for some reason she did. She blinked and looked back at Ed, who was twirling her hair around his fingers and reading over her shoulder.

"You should grow your hair out. It would be pretty." he stated, motioning for her to turn the page. She turned the page for him, but didn't keep reading herself.

"Is it not pretty now?" she frowned at him. Ed's cheeks turned a violent shade of red.

"Y-yeah it is! I was just thinking about-" he cut himself off and bit his lip. Winry giggled and looked back at him.

"I was kidding." she smiled. "I used to wear my hair long, but it just aggravated me. I cut it when I was twelve." she said thoughtfully, turning to glance at the glass case with the pocket watch. "…Ed?"

"Hm?"

"What happened October 3rd?" the room went silent and tense. Winry slouched. "Never mind you don't have to tell me." she shook her head hastily, closing the book in her hands and setting it on the coffee table.

"…It's the day Al and I burned our house down." Ed answered stonily. Winry cringed at the sudden lack of emotion in his words. Whenever she asked him a question about the odd alchemic texts in their library or something about their past he'd turn into an unemotional shell. She pulled herself up and sat on the couch next to him.

"Why do you always get like this?" she looked at him but he didn't reply. "You know practically every single thing about me, but you never tell me anything."

"_No fair! How come you guys never tell me anything?" Winry pouted at the two Elric brothers as they grinned widely. _

"_It'll be a surprise! You'll have to wait and see!" Ed actually had that fire in his eyes for the first time since their mother had died. Winry smiled slightly at that, but still felt extremely left out. _

"_Can't you tell me one thing?" she begged, grabbing onto his shirt and pulling him away from the younger sibling. Ed blinked and looked down at her. _

"… _Win… I'm taller than you!" he laughed triumphantly. Winry's frown returned to her features. _

"_You're still shorter than Al, you little shrimp." she turned away from him with her lips pursed. Ed's eye twitched. _

"_WHO ARE YOU CALLING A WATERFLEA THAT NO ONE CAN SEE EVEN WHEN THEY USE A MICROSCOPE?" he exploded at her, flailing immaturely and spouting profanities. Winry let go of his shirt and skipped over to Alphonse. _

"_Al, you'll tell me right?" she gripped onto his arm and blinked cutely at him, making his cheeks turn red. _

"_I-I'm sorry Winry. I can't." he sincerely looked apologetic about it. Winry groaned and stomped off towards her house. _

"_Fine." she snorted. "Who needs your surprise anyway." she didn't mean it, she was just upset that they wouldn't tell her anything, but the hurt look on Ed and Al's faces scratched at her insides. "I wouldn't get so bitter about it if you just told me!" she yelled at them as they walked towards their house. It was her way of saying sorry. _

"_See you tomorrow Winry!" Al laughed at her failed attempt at apologizing but when he looked at his brother he seemed to have a different idea. _

"…_We're doing it tonight. We're bringing her back." Ed was mumbling to himself. "I need it…" _

"Win…please don't do this to me." Ed's voice was broken and his eyes were filled with tears that refused to flood over. Winry felt guilt seep into her stomach; did her words have that much effect on him? It didn't seem like such deep thing to say, she was just telling him, right…? She groaned inwardly at herself. _Do I always do something wrong? _

"Ed… I-it's okay." she stuttered, not sure if that was the right thing to say or not. "I don't know what I did but I'm sorry. I'll stop, j-just tell me what I'm doing…" she put a hand on his cheek, frowning at how hot it was under her palm. Edward shook his head, closing his eyes; _she's too much like her_. Winry didn't know what coursed through her at that moment, but she pressed her lips firmly to his. Ed's eyes widened, his tears flowing over now that he wasn't doing anything to hold them back. His heart seemed to beat everywhere but his chest, but he couldn't get himself to respond, whether it be because it hurt to move or otherwise. Winry pulled back and wiped the tears away from his face with her hand.

"I-I'm sorry. Do you want some water?" she avoided his confused gaze and stood up, grabbing the cups off the coffee table and walking courtly into the kitchen. She washed all the dishes except for Edward's cup, which she refilled and put back on the table. She grabbed the alchemic text and shoved it back in the bookcase, trying to keep herself busy. She sat down in front of the bookcase and pulled out a book on medicine, which she assumed was Al's, and flipped it open, resisting pulling out another book on the mystical science Edward always seemed to get upset about.

"Winry…?" she looked up at Ed to see his face was even more flushed than before (which was saying something), but his expression wasn't lifeless anymore. "You're going to freeze over there." he smiled slightly and motioned for her to come back over by the fire. She hesitated before putting the book back where she found it and stumbled over to the couch.

"…I'm really sorry about that I-"

"Don't apologize." Ed snorted and grabbed her hand, pulling her onto the couch next to him and throwing a blanket over her. It suddenly felt extremely hot in the room to Winry. "Thank you." Ed mumbled. Winry looked back at him to see that he was half asleep. He looked at peace like that, not stuck up in his mind, not confused or concerned, just…Ed. She smiled and stared into the fire.

"You're welcome." she didn't know what he was thanking her for, but at least she did something right.

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**Okay so I fell asleep around 3-ish in the afternoon and it's like 8 and I just woke up. But I guess it makes sense because I was writing all night. I kinda wanna go back to sleep lol**

**But I hope you liked this chapter. Angsty/Romancey? Reviews appreciated.**


	6. Dopplegangers and Angels

**AN: I'm starting to think I should've named this fanfic Flashback. XD Oh well. Thank you to all my wonderful readers and reviewers who've followed me along so far. Unfortunately this story only has three chapters left, and it's probably not as long as some of you hoped. I didn't make it too long because I started it a month before school, and actually Tuesday was my first day. I didn't wanna be working on it during the school year since I have hard classes and I didn't wanna drop the fic. So I apologize for the shortness but I have started working on another EdWin chapter fic, though I can't say when it'll be up because I don't know.**

**_Disclaimer: Hiromu Arakawa is a cow with spectacles and owns FMA._**

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Winry hummed as she looked outside the diner at the falling snow. She greeted a few people as they rushed in and got to work on making them hot chocolate. The diner gave out free hot chocolate for anyone that cared to drop by in the winter time, which usually worked as a hook for them to buy something. They were making more money than they lost at least. She set hot chocolate on a few of the tables and went behind the counter, looking up at the clock. She heard the bells go off on the door and she turned around, only to see…

"Hey Win! What's going on babe?"

"Go away Daren." she spat sourly, trying to ignore her ex-boyfriend as he followed her around. "I don't appreciate your cronies following me whenever they find me." she hissed at him as she grabbed a plate off the counter and set it at the appropriate table. He leaned on the counter nonchalantly.

"Sorry about them, you know I just need to make sure you're safe." he pulled out a cigarette, which Winry grabbed and threw in the trash.

"This is a diner not a bar." she scolded. "If you want to make sure I'm safe do it yourself." she rolled her eyes and looked around the diner warily.

"We haven't been out in a long time." Daren frowned at her.

"That's because I broke up with you." Winry stated bluntly, looking at the clock again.

"Look, I know you're mad about me getting fired but-"

"It's not just that Daren!" she screeched, making the whole diner go silent. "You cheated on me! Then when I decided to just forget about it we got kicked out of the apartment because of your filthy gambling habits!" she tugged the ties on her apron loose and hung it up, throwing her jacket on her shoulders.

"Babe…I'm sorry we can make it work-"

"No we can't, because I think I already have somebody else." she wrapped her scarf around her neck as she cut him off. Daren looked sincerely hurt at this, and as if right on cue Edward walked in, raising his eyebrow at the scene before him. He looked from Daren to Winry, then Daren again.

"E-envy?" he muttered. Winry blinked at him and recognized that lifeless look in his eyes. She walked over to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the diner just as the grandfather clock in the square rang 6 p.m. Ed shook his head, clearing his thoughts_. Right. Everyone has a counterpart…_ He looked at her with a confused expression.

"That was Daren. My ex-boyfriend." Winry answered the question that he was about to ask. _Ew, Envy…_ was all Ed was able to think. Judging by the fact that Winry was yelling at Daren before Edward had walked in, he couldn't have been a much better creature than the homunculus that had been sacrificed to open The Gate.

"So, am I taking you home today or do you want to have dinner with me and Al?" Ed asked, looking beside him to see that Winry wasn't there. "Win…?" he turned in panic but didn't see her. "Winry?" he yelled her name loudly and turned frantically when he was hit squarely in the back of the head with a snowball. He frowned and looked behind him but she wasn't there. Before he knew it he was tackled to the ground, Winry on top of him with her growing hair curtaining their faces.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." she laughed, pinning his arms above his head.

"You have a strong arm. That snowball actually hurt a little." he smiled. Winry smirked and pressed her lips to his. Ed sighed as he arched into her, smirking himself when she relaxed. He rolled over and pinned her down, making her squirm underneath him.

"No fair, it's cold." she complained.

"You never answered my question." he muttered.

"Dinner sounds nice, and the warmer I can get the better." she laughed. Ed nuzzled her neck and closed his eyes. "Um Ed, the back of my head is getting numb." Winry patted his back. He rolled off of her and stood up, holding a hand out for her. She grabbed it and pulled herself to her feet, tugging him in the direction of the apartment.

~~~oOo~~~

"So Winry, tell us about your parents." Al looked at Winry over his textbook, raising his eyebrow at her as she talked quietly as her and Ed as they whispered on the couch. Winry looked up at him and blinked.

"Um, my mom stays at home and my dad is a psychiatrist." she shrugged. Ed smiled slightly; she still had her parents here. "What about your parents?" she asked, looked up at Ed curiously. Al bit his lip and looked at Ed, who's expression turned really serious.

"Our mom died when we were little, and our dad died two years ago in… an invasion." Ed found a way to tell her the truth without actually saying anything. Winry frowned and clung to his waist.

"I'm sorry." she sighed, burying her nose in his chest and taking in the scent of his clothes. Edward smiled and pet her hair.

"Why are you apologizing?" he laughed quietly. She shrugged and shifted, as if she could get any closer to him than she already was.

"You both remind me of angels." she whispered. Ed hesitated and raised an eyebrow skeptically at her, because of all things he could be compared to he wouldn't say an angel, and the second he didn't believe in angels or God. The Truth, which could be considered God, but not the creature written in the book they call The Bible in this universe.

"An angel?" he snorted. Winry pursed her lips and looked up at him.

"Yeah. The way you look up at the sky…" she said thoughtfully. "Like it's an escape. You're beautiful…" she smiled. Edward blinked, his face suddenly feeling extremely warm. He looked at his arm subconsciously. "Even with your prosthetics." Winry added, grinning knowingly. He looked down at her and laughed, making her grin disappear. "What's so funny?" she whined, letting go of his waist and sitting back.

"Out of everything I've been called, it's never been anything close to an angel." he leaned back and put his hands behind his head. Winry just shrugged. "Dog, freak, crazy-"

"Midget." Al added in, making Ed's eye twitch.

"DO I LOOK SHORT TO YOU AL?" he demanded, glaring at his little brother. Al smiled and shook his head, going back to his work. Winry stood up and stretched, looking back at Ed.

"It's getting a little late. I should probably get home." she yawned.

"I'll walk you." Al volunteered before Ed could even open his mouth to respond. Both Ed and Winry looked at him; Ed warily, and Winry surprised.

"Sure!" she grabbed her coat and threw it over her shoulders, zipping it up all the way and wrapping her scarf around her neck. Alphonse threw his coat on, avoiding his brothers gaze. "See you later, Ed." she smiled as he stood up and stood over her.

"Be safe." he smiled weakly. Winry rolled her eyes.

"Okay." she grinned. Ed pressed his lips desperately to hers, making her eyes widen. She puts her hands on his face and kissed him back, pressing closer when he wrapped his arms around her waist. Al cleared his throat loudly, his cheeks slightly red. The two broke apart and looked away from each other. "U-um, see you later." Winry waved at Ed and walked out the open door. Al was about to walk out when Ed stopped him.

"Al…" he looked back. "Take care of her… please." his tone was pleading.

"Do you really have so little faith in me, brother?" Al smiled gently at him and walked out, closing the door behind him.

~~~oOo~~~

"…Hey Al?"

" Mm?" Al looked at Winry as she looked up at the sky with her hands in her pockets. She looked pretty like that; her ice-blue eyes reflecting the stars in the sky and the wind blowing her hair slightly into her face.

"My family usually has a big dinner for Christmas, and we exchange gifts and… that whole thing." Winry looked at the ground beneath her, rocking on her heels. "Would you and Ed like to come over and spend Christmas with us?" she looked at him hopefully. Alphonse thought for a moment. _Brother doesn't like celebrating Christmas…but maybe he'll do it for Winry. _he shrugged internally, smiling brightly.

"We'd love to." he couldn't bring himself to say no to her. Winry smiled and hugged him tightly.

"You'll have a good time, I promise." she grabbed his hand and tugged him into the deep snow of the country. "…Will you get upset if I ask you something?" she looked back at him as he kicked a pile of snow out of his way. Al looked up at her, shaking his head. He knew what she meant and wasn't afraid of her questions. "What was your mom like?" she asked quietly. Al smiled slightly at her, knowing what she really wanted to ask.

"She was amazing." he sighed. "She was beautiful, and always supported Ed and I. Even when my dad left, she was really sad but didn't want to worry us about it, so she stayed strong and always tried to keep us laughing or busy doing something." he looked up at the sky and closed his eyes, envisioning her; emerald eyes and long, wavy brown hair with a gentle smile on her face. "But, Ed and I came home one day after shopping at the market and she was collapsed on the kitchen floor. She'd been sick for a while but didn't tell anyone." the happy look on Al's face disintegrated. Winry clasped her hands behind her back; she never expected a full story.

"You got her help right? She didn't-" she cut herself off and looked at him expectantly. Alphonse shook his head.

"We were able to get her help, but it was too late, her immune system was already shutting down. They didn't even know what she'd come down with." he looked down at the ground.

"_It'll be okay." Ed couldn't tell if he was talking to himself or to his mother, who was lying in bed holding his hand. Al looked from Ed to the doctor, who walked out of the room with Pinako to discuss something. He looked at Winry, who was already crying, but she always seemed to be crying now of days. More than anything Al felt confused and scared. _

"_Remember. I'll always love you." Trisha smiled weakly at the two of them before her grip on Ed's hand went limp and her breathing stopped. Winry froze for a moment before running out of the room, calling her grandmother. Al just stood there, shocked. _

"_Mom…?" Ed squeaked out. "Mom! No please…" he started sobbing out her name. Al felt tears well over his eyes. Ed? Was crying? A few nurses rushed in and took Trisha out of the room. "No! Don't take her!" Ed screeched, leaping at them. "Mommy!" Winry grabbed him around the waist. _

"_Ed, please stop." she sobbed, tugging him to the floor. Al just stared at them blankly, not knowing what to do. He couldn't stop crying but was he supposed to run and lock himself up in his room? Was he supposed to run and disappear for a while? You couldn't hear anything but Edward's sobbing in the house, but with every sob Al's composure started to break down. _

"_She's gone…" Ed choked, clinging to Winry as she stroked his hair. Al dropped to his knees and started bawling; it was too much. _

"Is that why you want to be a doctor?" Winry asked him, snapping Al out of his vague flashback. He looked at her and blinked, having to adjust to the two different Winry's. He rubbed his temple and smiled at her.

"Yeah." he answered simply. Winry smiled back at him and ran up the walkway to her house.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked. Alphonse nodded and smiled slightly. "Thank you." she kissed him on the cheek, and unlocked the door, disappearing into the house. Al stood there frozen before grinning and walking back the way they'd came.

~~~oOo~~~

"No."

"But brother! I already told Winry we'd go." Alphonse complained. Edward rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"You know we don't celebrate Christmas." he sighed, pouring himself a glass of water and downing it in one gulp.

"You should've seen how happy she was. Please brother, for Winry." Al looked at him pleadingly. Ed glared at him and shook his head.

"I'm not going there and pretending to believe in God." he refused, making the younger sibling huff in frustration. "Besides, I don't want to start getting too attached to her, we're going to be leaving for America before you know it and it won't even matter." he waved a hand nonchalantly. Alphonse raised an eyebrow at him.

"If Winry doesn't matter then why are you going out with her in the first place? Because she reminds you of the Winry from our world and _that's it_?" he was starting to get frustrated. "This Winry isn't used to you leaving all the time brother, she's going to be hurt-"

"You think it doesn't hurt me?" Ed exploded, making Al jump away from him slightly. "How many people have I had to lose? I'm not losing her a second time, it'll hurt too much if I get attached." he plopped onto the couch with his face in his hands. Al groaned. _He doesn't realize how deep in this he already is._

"Brother don't make this all about you. We don't have to go to America, so don't make it seem like such an obligation. You're just running away from your problems because you can't move on." he frowned.

"I can."

"You can, but you don't want to." Ed blinked at his younger brother. Alphonse shook his head. "I'm going to bed. We're going to Winry's for Christmas." he walked into his room and closed the door without any more arguments.

"He acts like he's the older brother…" Ed laid down on the couch and stared at the ceiling, his hands behind his head. Maybe having familiar faces around would be a comfort to him, but the only thing he was feeling was queasy about it.

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**Christmas in the summer? **

**The fic just worked well that way. It's essential to the plot soooo don't ask why I made it during the winter. XD You'll find out soon enough.**

**The next chapter should be up next Wednesday or Thursday, depending on when I'm not lazy to do it. XD **


	7. 5:03am Christmas Morning

**AN: I'm sorry it took me a bit to put this up. I was lazy and tired. **

**to answer Odison's question, Daren was Envy's blonde form. :3 -nodnod- I should've clarified that. :E**

**_Disclaimer: I'm probably gonna stop with the disclaimer's because everyone knows I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist._**

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"_Winry I'm sorry! Where are you? It's starting to get stormy!" Ed called out to the open field in front of him, trying to see through the rain. "Winry!" he yelled. He groaned when he didn't see anyone or hear a reply. He ran out into the rain, pushing his legs to go as fast as he could before the lightning started up. He frowned when he saw her shoes at the foot of the tree near his house and he looked up, only to see Winry with her back against the trunk of the tree with a pout on her face. "Winry! Get down from there!" _

"_No!" Winry snapped at him, crossing her arms over her chest. Edward rolled his eyes and jumped, gripping onto the branch above him and pulling himself up. He looked around the trunk at Winry, jumping to the other side and wobbling. _

"_Winry…" he pleaded. She turned away from him with a huff. "I'm sorry. You are a machine geek but… you aren't un-cute…" he mumbled, looking up at the canopy of leaves and flinching as a heavy raindrop hit his face. Winry looked up at him, her cheeks red. _

"…_You're lying."_

"_What? What makes you think I'm lying!" Ed yelled at her, waving his arms childishly. _

"_You just want me to get down so you can go." she put her face in her arms and stayed quiet. _

"_Winry I've called you un-cute so many times… but I never meant it. I just wanted-"_

"_Ed you honestly think that's why I'm mad?" Winry giggled, wiping the tears from her face. Edward blinked and looked at her, his expression confused and his cheeks red. _

"_Y-you mean you weren't upset about me calling you an un-cute, unfeminine, tomboy automail otaku?" he smiled, putting his hands on his hips._

"_Don't think I'm not mad about that." Winry glared at him with a steely gaze. "I didn't want you to leave." she shrugged, resting her head on her knees as thunder roared above them. Edward smiled, a little confused, and held his hand out for her, steadying her as she pulled herself to her feet. "Why did you leave me?" he looked up at her to see not 12-year-old Winry, but the grown up, definitely not un-cute or unfeminine Winry. He blinked at her and stepped away. "Why did you leave me, Ed?" he felt hands grab him and he struggled against them. _

"_Eh? Winry! I never left you I'm right here!" he tugged against the black hands and looked back, seeing The Gate. He tugged harder. "Winry! Please!"_

"_You left me for her." Winry's expression was lifeless as stone. Edward held back a sob as he turned around again, but instead of seeing The Gate, he saw the other Winry from England. He froze, shaking in his platform boots and signature red coat. _

"_Do you remember the time when we were little, and you and Al fought over who would marry me?" the other Winry asked. She was over him on the bed, her toned body exposed to him. Edward nodded, gulping loudly. "And the time I forgot to put a screw in your automail." she smiled, dragging her nails across his now bare chest, and Ed nodded. Then the Winry frowned deeply. "Why are you nodding, when the person I'm talking about isn't me?" suddenly the frown turned into a sickening, crazed smiled and the person over him transformed into none other than Envy. His surroundings changed into a large ballroom, and Al was there in a suit of armor, and Rose and her baby, and… Dante. _

"_How does it feel to watch your life disappear right before your eyes?" Envy sounded mildly curious, and Ed felt consciousness slip away from him as Envy tugged his hand from Ed's stomach. _

Edward sat up with a start, looking around him wildly and sighing in relief. "Just a dream." he panted. He looked out the window, then at the clock. _5:03 a.m. _"Ugh, too early-"

"Merry Christmas brother!" Alphonse burst into the room, grinning widely.

"What the hell, Al? It's 5 in the morning." Edward groaned and turned over, stuffing his face into his pillow.

"Come on! Get up! I made breakfast!" Al took the pillow from under his head. Ed grunted as his face hit the firm mattress.

"What did you make?" he asked warily, eyeing his brother.

"Just pancakes, eggs, bacon, other stuff. But we haven't had a good home cooked meal in a while so…" Alphonse shrugged casually. Edward sighed and stood up, looking out at the stormy morning.

"Is it okay if I go back to sleep after I eat?" he asked.

"Sure. After you open your present. Which reminds me we should get Winry a present before we go over to her house." Al pondered as he walked out of the room, his brain already running so early in the morning. Ed slumped out of the room and sat on the couch, his eyes widening when Alphonse set down a large breakfast in front of him. Fried potatoes, pancakes, bacon, and sunny-side-up eggs (just the way Ed liked them).

"Oh wow. You sure went all out. Thank you." he picked up his fork and dug in. Alphonse never got how he was such a hasty eater but always managed to not be messy.

"It's no problem. Cooking is fun. I might want to be a chef one day…" he hummed, walking to the kitchen and making himself a plate.

"I thought you wanted to go to medical school." Ed raised an eyebrow at him, not bothering to cover his full mouth as he talked.

"I do, but I might change my mind. If I do it'll be for cooking. I love food." Al smiled, shoving a pile of potatoes into his mouth. Ed smiled slightly, remembering the suit or armor his little brother was stuck in for so long. It's no wonder he loved food so much.

"You're studying for med school, with Hoenheim's money we can afford it but I'd have to get another job if you want to take extra classes. We still have to save money for our trip to America, not to mention your university fund." Edward shook his head at the thought. Unless Al got in on scholarship things were going to be pretty tight, but scholarships were scarce these days.

"I know, I know." Al sighed, shoveling more food into his mouth. "It was just a thought." he rolled his eyes slightly before smiling. "Oh! Your present!" He put his plate down and ran into his room, running back out with a tiny box.

"Al, you didn't have to get me-"

"I didn't get you anything. I'm giving you something of mine." Al smiled and motioned for him to take it.

"I feel bad because I didn't get you anything." Edward frowned as he grabbed it from his hands.

"Don't feel bad." Al laughed. Ed opened the box to reveal a solid metal ring. He looked at it curiously before pulling it out of the box and weighing it in his hand.

"It feels like automail…" he stated. Alphonse nodded.

"Back when I was with Winry in Amestris I got bored and asked if I could use your old automail leg to mess around with. Winry has a ring and I had this one, but I want you to have it." he smiled thinly. Ed looked at the ring with a blank expression.

"…She didn't scrap my old leg?" he asked. Al sighed; that was the last question he was expecting. Why did you take my leg apart? Why did you take Winry's hard work apart? What the heck were you doing?

"It was in her workshop as the first leg she ever made for you. Don't worry I only used your heel, it was already rusted so I just restored it." he waved his hands frantically when Edward glared at him. The older brother smiled.

"Thank you. This is the best present anyone could've given me. Christmas or otherwise." he slipped the ring onto his finger and stared at it.

"Winry told me to give it to you. When the time was right." Alphonse shrugged, staring at the ring too. "…Hey, she put it on that finger too. On her left hand…" Ed blushed and looked at the ring again and realized he'd put it on his engagement finger. He shrugged it off as a coincidence and stood up; his left hand was his flesh one after all.

"I'm going back to sleep. Wake me up when it's time to get ready." he waved nonchalantly and retreated to his room.

"Okay." Al watched him leave before going to his own room and getting ready.

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**Yay! Sorry it was a short chapter this week. Reviews are appreciated! Though I know I get lazy and just want the next chapter and don't review others much. :l I should start with that huh? That's very lame of me. **

**Thanks for reading this chapter!**


	8. The Boiling Point

**AN: Here's the next chapter because I love you guys. **

**Oh! I was asked to write the script for an EdWin doujin yesterday and it made me way excited. Maybe when it gets finished I'll shove a link into my profile and you could check it out?**

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"Merry Christmas!" Edward jumped back as Winry clung onto his waist, pulling him inside the Rockbell residence with a huge smile on her face. Alphonse gave him a look - _Don't be stingy about this - _before smiling when Winry gave him a hug too. Ed looked around the living room, not surprised to see a Christmas tree with presents under it. There was popcorn tinsel hung almost anywhere they could put it, with candles and stockings over the fire-place. He almost jumped back when Winry's dad walked in with a big smile on his face.

"Ah! This must be Edward! Nice to meet you. I'm Urey." he gave Ed a firm handshake and gestured behind him to his wife. "This is my wife, Sara." he grinned widely and proudly. Edward took her hand gently, as if afraid that he would break her.

" Hi, I'm Winry's mom." she smiled. Edward smiled back nervously, scratching the back of his head when they moved to Alphonse. Winry looked up at him with a smirk.

"…What?" he pouted at her expression. She kissed him on the cheek. "O-oh, I got something for you." he pulled a tiny box out of his pocket. Winry blinked. "W-well actually, Al got it for me to give to you." Ed said honestly, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm not any good at picking out gifts-" Winry put her hand over his mouth to keep him from rambling. He blushed and shoved the gift at her, turning away. She rolled her eyes at him before opening the tiny box, revealing two perfect sapphire dangling earrings. Her eyes widened considerably as she gazed at them.

"Oh, wow." she stuttered. "They're beautiful." a huge grin made it's way onto her face. She wrapped her arms around his middle in a tight embrace, making him freeze in place. She rushed into the kitchen to where Al and her mother were talking and practically tackled Al. She kissed him on the cheek and muttered something Ed couldn't hear. Alphonse shrugged as his cheeks turned a violent shade of red. Ed blinked. _Does… Al like Winry? _he thought. This also sent another bombardment of questions in his head as he watched their close interaction. _Why doesn't she talk to me like that? Why is he standing so close to her? Why are they whispering? Are they talking about me? Why don't I feel jealous? _he nearly smacked his hand to his face but was interrupted when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Winry's dad, smiling slightly at him.

"So young man, what line of work are you in?" he handed Ed a cup of hot chocolate and motioned for him to sit down, taking a seat in front of the fire place. Edward stared down at the hot chocolate before taking a seat in the arm chair across from the young psychiatrist.

"Um, I study rocket science." he replied hesitantly.

"Oh wow." Urey's eyes widened, knowing rocket science, or just any science in general, wasn't some kind of easy subject. "Very impressive. What interested you in it?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I grew up around science. My dad was a…chemist." Edward nodded. "He had plenty of books and me and Alphonse always got into them when we were little." he smiled slightly. Urey smiled brightly.

"Still a man of science after all these years." he nodded approvingly, but the term brought back terrible memories to Edward.

"_I don't need your silly little rules! I'm a man of science!" the man Ed still doesn't know the name of put the sheet of paper down in front of the army of dead men. Human transmutation… it only went one way. _

"_Science that doesn't help the people isn't science at all!" Al shouted at him. The man only snickered as he placed his hands on the transmutation circle, and before Ed and Al knew it he was gone and not one body of the men piled unceremoniously moved. Ed punched the wall with his automail hand. _

"_Damn it!" he growled, running a frustrated hand through his hair. If Alphonse could frown he would've. "I didn't even get to take the bomb. Damn it! Who knows where it is!" _

"_Brother, it's probably in the Gate. You don't have to worry about it…" Al reassured him. Edward ran a hand over his face to relieve the stress, but it didn't leave. _

"_I guess. Let's get out of here." he clapped and fixed his red coat before making his way around the deceased bodies. _

"It's the only thing I know, to be honest." Ed smiled thinly.

"Well, psychiatry is the only thing I know, so don't feel remorse." Urey laughed good naturedly. Ed laughed a bit too, feeling like he actually belonged somewhere for once.

"Ed! Come here I have to give you your present!" Winry grabbed him underneath the arms and tugged him over the armchair with strength he didn't know she had. He smiled as she dragged him into the kitchen, motioning at a huge, rectangle in wrapping paper. He raised an eyebrow at her but went to awkwardly tear the paper off of it. He blinked at it for a moment in awe. It was a painting of a rocket up in space, with the Milky Way galaxy resting behind it in distinct detail. "I painted it with spray liquid!" Winry smiled brightly.

"Oh… wow." Edward only looked at it with a blank expression. "Why don't you go to school for art?" he asked, looking at her with a serious expression. Winry's cheeks turned red.

"O-oh jeez. You actually think it's good?" she laughed.

"Are you kidding me? This is amazing." he smiled at her. "Why isn't your name on it?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, women don't get much appreciation." Winry shrugged. "It's either make up a name, or don't put anything on it." she looked at the ground.

"Well I want _your_ name on it." Ed stated seriously.

"'Kay." Winry grabbed the painting and ran up the steps, no doubt to find something to put her name there.

~~~oOo~~~

"That's so sissy, Al."

"Winry made it! Squeaky gets cold, it was nice of Winry to think of her." Alphonse defended himself regarding Winry's present. She'd knitted a scarf for Alphonse, with a matching blanket for his beloved cat.

"…Do you like her?" Ed asked all of a sudden, making Al raise an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about now, brother?" he sighed, rolling his eyes as his tightened his coat around his body, crossing his arms to keep the cold away.

"Winry… do you like her?" Ed looked at his little brother's shocked face. "I won't be mad. Just… tell me the truth." _Please don't say yes. _Ed couldn't figure out why he wanted his little brother to respond with a no.

"W-well… yeah, she's very nice."

"You know that's not what I mean, Alphonse." Edward kicked a pile of snow out of his way, immediately regretting it as the cold made its way through his boots.

"U-um… I guess I do a little." Al admitted, looking at the ground. Edward let out a sigh.

"We're leaving for America on the first, just to remind you." he scratched at his head.

"What? You were serious about that? Brother-"

"I don't want to hear it. I told you not to get so used to things when we haven't settled down yet."

"Then what about you?" Al stopped in his tracks, for once letting his anger seep through his usually calm demeanor. "You're the one that started getting close to her and now you want to run away? Why can't you just be happy with what you have for once! We're stuck here! We can't go back to her Edward!" he flinched at the way he shouted his older brothers name so defiantly. "I know you miss Winry, but you obviously came back here knowing full well what you sacrificed. You almost left me back home without you again and I don't know why but…please. Just do something right." tears spilled over his eyelids as he stormed ahead of his frozen older sibling. Edward stood there, his face blank with shock. A mixture of anger and confusion and regret started to fill him. _Who does he think he's speaking to? _

"_Tell Winry I said thanks, okay?" Ed smiled at Al as he watched him float down. _

"_What? Brother…? Brother!" Al struggled in the Colonel's grasp, trying to break free. Ed walked back into the airship and struggled to maneuver it back to the gate, but once he succeeded he had other things to worry about. He landed with a crash on the other side and stumbled out, followed by an evil black blob that used to be the society's leader. _

"_Alfons…?" he looked around before looking down at Noa, who was reaching out to him like a little child with the blonde German boy in her lap. His eyes widened in horror, but he continued to ignore the gypsy that was begging for his attention. _

"_Brother?" he turned around to see a suit of armor. _

"_Hey Al, you transmuted part of your soul again?" he smiled sadly, squatting down to interact with his younger brother. The head of the armor popped off to reveal who actually was his younger brother. _

"_Nope." Al grinned. Edward blinked. _

"_Wh-wha-?"_

"_I finally found you, I'm not losing you again." he struggled out of the armor, brushing off the red coat he wore with a heavy sigh. "So, how are we going to destroy the gate?" he looked at his brother with a smile. _

"_Go back home! Now!" Ed demanded. Al blinked, the smile immediately wiping off his face. _

"_B-but…"_

"_Al I can't put you through what's gone on here, please…" Ed looked at the ground. _

"_Well I can't let you go through it alone." Al shrugged, glancing at Noa with a confused expression. "Is that your girlfriend?" he asked suspiciously._

"_AL!"_

"_Sorry sorry! Jeez so sensitive." Al laughed and pulled Ed to his feet. "We're going to go through this together. Promise?" Ed hesitated for a moment before nodding. _

"_Of course."_

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**Al thought Ed needed a little telling off. So did I. What about you?**

**2 more chapters left! **


	9. No Turning Back

**AN: I don't know how much I'll be able to function for the next few days so I'm updating it a tad earlier than usual, though I hope you have no problem with that. XD I have a 24 hour EEG, so wish me luck! **

**ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO!**

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"Hey Win." Edward walked into the diner with a bored expression on his face.

"Hey! You're late again." Winry smiled at him and hopped up from her seat at the bar. She grabbed his hand and pulled him outside, humming a happy tune. "So are you and Al coming over for New Years? My parents really like you guys and insisted on me inviting you over. So how about it?" she asked, jumping onto his back before dropping a few seconds later and skipping ahead.

"Um, about that…" Ed hesitated. Winry blinked and looked back at him with a worried expression. "Al and I are leaving for America on the first." he smiled thinly, nervously.

"Wh-what? But I thought…" Winry's eyebrows pulled together.

"I know. I'm sorry but we really need to get a move on, we've been in one place for too long." Ed couldn't bring himself to tell her the real reason they were leaving so soon.

"W-well can't you stay a little longer? It won't be long before I have enough money to get into a university a-and-"

"Winry I already bought the tickets, and Al's going into an exchange program. Everything's already been settled." Ed couldn't look her in the eyes.

"What's the real reason?" she demanded, catching Ed off guard. "You're always keeping things from me, and I'm fine with that but tell me the real reason you're leaving." she begged. Ed bit his lip. _Of course… she's stubborn. _"Is it because of _her_?"

"… W-what are you talking about?" he asked, crossing his arms and avoiding her gaze.

"Your friend. The one I remind you of." she explained. He shook his head but didn't look at her. "It is. I can tell. You love her don't you?" she asked. His face turned a vibrant shade of red, but he shook his head.

"She's just my mechanic!" he said defensively.

"Obviously not Ed." she looked at him seriously. "There's a reason you never talk about her, and I won't ask you what. Just… is it because of her?" she sighed, crossing her arms to keep away the cold as it started to snow. Ed just looked at her before storming away from her, not able to say anything. Winry groaned and sat down on the bench, running her hands through her hair.

~~~OoO~~~

"Hi Winry." Winry turned around from serving coffee to see Al, standing there with a shy smile. She smiled at him and motioned for him to take a seat, putting the pot away and sitting next to him.

"Hey." she looked at the clock to notice it was the time Ed would usually pick her up for dinner. She sighed and glanced at her feet.

"I really don't want to leave, but brother is stubborn." Al told her, looking at her sympathetically. "His way of dealing with things is running away. It's not the best method." he sighed. "Come on, let's go outside." he stood up and waited for her as she untied her apron and hung it on the rack behind the counter. Winry pulled her coat on and followed him outside.

"So… tomorrow." she puffed her cheeks out in a heavy sigh. Al nodded his head.

"Yup." there was a loud silence between them. "…She was amazing." he said suddenly. Winry looked at him curiously. "You remind me of her too." he looked up at the sky and smiled. "You have the same color hair, and you always have that same innocent look on your face." he looked at her thoughtfully.

"… Who is she?" Winry asked, putting her hands in her pockets.

"We grew up with her. She was smart and kind. Ed always called her un-cute and unfeminine, but every time we were around her I'd catch him staring at her. She was the exact opposite." Alphonse shook his head, smiling at the memory. "When Ed and I burned our house down, she treated us like the family we wanted so badly to have back." he took a deep breath. "He really misses her. The idiot…" he pushed his bangs out of his face. Winry smiled slightly.

"I guess I shouldn't be too offended, since you think so highly of her." she hummed. "But still… it would've been nice if he actually cared…" she looked at the ground as she tried to stop tears overflowing her eyelids, but she couldn't stop them. Al sighed and pulled her into a hug.

"He does. He just has a stupid way of showing it." he said. Winry shrugged and clung to him.

"Thanks Al. For everything." she pulled something out of her pocket and slipped it into his hand. "I have to get home. Write, okay?" she kissed him on the cheek and turned.

"D-do you want me to walk you home?" Al asked, looking down at the thin piece of paper he'd acquired. Winry looked back at him and nodded, holding her hand out. Al rushed to grab it and let her pull him along.

~~~OoO~~~

_(The Next Day…)_

"There's no turning back now…" Edward looked at the people waving on the dock, not seeing one familiar face.

"You could easily step off this boat before it leaves, brother." Alphonse looked at him with a serious expression. Ed hesitated before shaking his head.

"No. I don't think I could look her in the face again…" he ran a hand over his face wearily. Al sighed and grabbed his suitcase from the deck before going down into the cabins. Edward leaned on the rail and frowned as he started to doze off.

"_Ed! Come inside so I can connect your leg!" Winry called out the window of the Rockbell Automail Shop. He looked up at her and groaned as he was thrown back, Al's foot connecting with his chest. He laid there for a while and looked up at the sky. Winry's face blocked his view, raising an eyebrow at him. _

"_I never could beat him while sparing." Ed sighed. Winry held a hand out for him and helped him up. _

"_Come on, before you destroy your spare leg." she rolled her eyes and brushed some grass off his back. He squirmed as she did so, making her giggle. "Are you ticklish?" she snorted. Ed looked at her before darting into the house, yelling things like "NONSENSE" and "ALCHEMISTS DON'T HAVE WEAKNESSES LIKE BEING TICKLISH." She followed him inside and went into the living room where he was sitting, arms crossed, bracing for the connection. _

"_You do know I can tell when you're lying." she told him, disconnecting the spare leg from his port. _

"_No you don't." he pursed his lips in a pout. _

"_One, two, three." Winry connected his automail leg and flinched as he gripped the wooden chair with raw force. He hissed and twitched slightly, the pain running up and down the nerves of his body. _

"_Ugh, remind me to settle down and live off your spares." he sighed, shifting in his seat. _

"_I'll be waiting." Winry smiled slightly and ran over his leg with a clean rag, making it shine. Ed's face turned a vibrant shade of red but didn't get a chance to splutter anything stupid. "Do you want me to make you something to eat?" Winry asked curiously. _

"_U-uhm… yeah sure." Ed avoided her gaze and frowned, a small pout still on his face. _

"_Stew?" she smirked at him. The frowned lifted from his face and he nodded eagerly, following her into the kitchen like a lost puppy. _

"Brother, wake up." Alphonse shook his brother, but didn't succeed in waking him up. He sighed and threw his older brother over his shoulder before carrying him down to their cabin; they had a long way to go before they made it to America and if Ed was going to sleep he might as well be comfortable. They had a long journey ahead of them.

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**Ed's such a stubborn idiot, ne? **

**I wish I would've made this story long, but there would've just been a surprising amount of filler if I did. I finished my event time-line fairly quickly I guess. Anyway I hope you'll stick around for the next chapter!**


	10. Moving On

**AN: HAPPY WEEKEND! Last chapter and I hope you like it~ Though I'm not entirely sure if you will. DX But I can say I tried, ne? **

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_(8 Years Later…) _

"Brother! We're going to be late for the art expo!" Alphonse looked at himself in the mirror and straightened his tie, smiling slightly at the neat, clean appearance he presented. As a doctor he felt like he needed to create an impression, not that it mattered much since he graduated already. Edward walked downstairs, yawning as he passed a painting of a spaceship and the milky-way. He scratched his head and looked at his younger brother sleepily.

"Remind me why you're dragging me to this thing." he said bluntly. Al rolled his eyes and fixed his brothers hair, tugging at his shirt indicating that he needed to button it up.

"You should wear a tie." he stated. "You need to get out, all you've been doing since we moved into this house is lay around." he sighed.

"Well it's big and comfy. What do you expect me to do?" Ed asked, buttoning his shirt but ignoring his sibling's comment about the tie. He shoved his hands into his pockets and watched as Al grabbed the keys to the car. He looked around at the high, auburn and gold ceiling. Al opened the door and let Ed walk out first before closing and locking it behind them.

"I expect you to do something different with your time, like go out and start something." he replied dryly.

"Hey, that only happened once." Ed said defensively. "Why couldn't bring your girlfriend Annie or whatever?" he asked as he settled into the front seat of the car.

"It's Anna. And because she told me to drag you out of the house for a change." Alphonse started the car and pulled out of the driveway. Edward pouted but didn't feel like talking anymore.

~~~oOo~~~

"Ah! Alphonse it's good to see you back at NYU!" some person Edward didn't know the name of rushed over to them, shaking Al's hand hastily. Ed stood there pouting, his arms crossed.

"Hello Lucas. Likewise." Al smiled politely. "This is my brother, Edward." he gestured to Ed.

"Hello sir, it's nice to meet you." this guy smiled brightly and shook his hand. "Hey Win!" he turned to a rather small man with a short, page boy haircut. He sighed heavily from the painting he was drawing on a canvas and looked back at them in a bored manner.

"What Lucas?" he asked. He looked at Ed and his eyes widened. Ed blinked before his expression turned into one of surprise and confusion.

"WHA-?"

"Edward. This is Win Rockwell." Lucas dragged Win over to the two.

"BUT-?"

"Yes. I think we've met before." Win gave Edward a look of warning.

"HUH-?"

"Oh well that's swell! You two can catch up while I talk to Al. See you later!" he tugged on Alphonse's arm and pulled him away deeper into the art exhibits. There was an awkward silence between the two people left standing there.

"… Winry?"

"Yes?"

"… Your hair is short…" it sounded more like an accusation rather than an observation. Winry groaned and rolled her eyes, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him outside, where it'd started to rain. She grabbed an umbrella that was sitting on the steps and opened it.

"So… you made it to America." Edward looked at her face, not liking the serious expression there as he stood under the umbrella with her.

"And into a University." she said proudly. "They didn't accept me into the art program as a woman, so I cut my hair." she ran a hand through her short, boy-cut hair.

"B-but what about…?" Ed glanced at her up and down.

"I can wrap my breasts, it's not that hard." Winry rolled her eyes and crossed an arm over her chest. "So how've you been?" she asked.

"You didn't write…" Edward stated.

"You could've written me, Al has my address." she said quietly. "I've been writing to him." she shrugged. "I didn't think you wanted to talk to me." she sighed.

"I would've…" he pinched his nose. Winry smiled apologetically.

"Well, I have to go back in and finish that piece. You want to watch?" she asked. Edward nodded and yelped slightly as she giggled and grabbed his arm, pulling him hastily inside.

"_I don't think I'll ever be able to get over her…" Edward sighed as he talked to Noa. He rubbed his temples, his brain filled with too many thoughts. Noa smiled sympathetically. _

"_You will eventually. And when you do, I can assure you you'll finally feel like you belong here. Trust me." and Edward believed her for some reason._

…_And now he had a good reason to._

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**Inspired by Your Ex-Lover Is Dead by Stars**

**Original Concept by Ava of **

**Original story by Hiromu Arakawa**

**Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed this fanfic! You're all amazing! **


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